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Hail Damage
Prior to and for some time after emergence, the corn plant is relatively immune to hail damage. At emergence, the plant's growing point is below the soil surface and remains there for about 3 weeks, until five or six leaves have fully emerged. Because the growing point is in the leaf whorl and below ground level, plant damage due to hail at these early stages rarely results in any significant yield loss.
Approximately 3 weeks after emergence, all nodes and internodes are developed, and the growing point is elevated above the soil surface.
For the next 4-5 weeks, the plant grows rapidly and becomes more and more susceptible to hail damage up through tasseling --the most critical period. Once past tasseling, hail has progressively less effect on yield loss.
ESTIMATING TOTAL YIELD LOSS
Total corn yield loss from hail damage is estimated by adding the expected yield loss caused by stand reduction, the expected loss caused by defoliation, and the expected loss caused by direct ear damage. Remember, however, that this is only an estimate of the percent yield loss. As with undamaged corn, extremely favorable weather during the rest of the growing season can cause actual yields to be higher than expected. Similarly, unfavorable weather can cause greater-than-anticipated reductions.
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